The Diary of Rikkard Ambrose

III

Friday, 26th December, 1834
09.16. Linton is in his office. I heard him come in, followed by his footsteps approaching our inter-connecting doors thrice, before returning to his desk. I fear it would be a pity to deny him of my presence on such a fine winter's morning and as such will presently enter his office.
11.00. Things got wild. Let it simply be said that I have been presented with an expansion-pack to Linton's previous gift.
12.34. This afternoon's shipments have been delayed by a day and as such I shall presently be visiting the docks. Linton will accompany me.
12.49. Merely to oversee matters. Karim can come, too.
15.45. Nothing was wrong at the docks. Linton was irritating and insisted on following at my heels wherever I went. He then proceeded to berate my lack "people skills." Such a superfluous argument. I get things done. I do not care if one of the workers (whom I pay) cowers at my presence. So I shut Linton up the whole of the return journey to Empire House in the most creative way I could think to do so. From the flush on her cheeks I gathered she had no qualms regarding my "people skills" at that point.
16.11. Linton is gone for his "half-day holiday." It will be an uneventful evening.
20.52. It has been an eventful evening. I was completing forms for the next shipment to the docks, when I heard the doors to the building open and close. I went to investigate. It was Linton. She had with her a box and a smile and was mounting the stairs when I spotted her. In honour of the gift I gave her recently, she claimed to have felt guilty for having nothing in return and present me with a box of solid chocolates. She said to me, "I don't know your opinions on solid chocolate, but I am of the opinion it's pretty jolly spectacular, so here." Little does she know. I thanked her and there was a silence. She began picking up her skirts to descend the stair case and I stopped her, turned her, kissed her. Following this I bid her good evening and returned to my office.
22.12. That was not the last I saw of Linton this evening. Following my last entry she burst into my office and marched in a most efficient fashion to my desk (more efficient than the pace she usually works at, I might add) and demanded an explanation for "what we are." After querying her, I discovered she wanted to enquire as to the status of our relationship. We argued for far too long and she seems to have settled that it is an amicable work relationship. I agreed no such thing and she is now gone. I fear she may cry.
23.04. I have considered my conversation with Linton. While I cannot dispute the relationship is solely work-based, it is by no means amicable. I do not wish to be Linton's friend. I wish to be Linton's everything, as she is mine.

Saturday, 27th December, 1834
05.39. I am not in love. Nor will I ever be. Linton has pointed out one too many times of my incapacity to feel deep emotion. It will take more than mere fancy to remedy the matter.
06.00. I can't be in love. After all, knowledge is power is time is money. There is no time for such fickle emotion.
06.22. After much deliberation, I have decided that "love" is a vile term and will expel it from my vocabulary. I have no use for it. I am not in
06.34. Ardour.

Right, my loves, sorry that this is a bit shït, too. It was written as a spur-of-the-moment sort of thing and as such has very little editing etc put into it. Nonetheless, I hope my fellow Ifrits enjoy it. X